Tokyo 3 Takeouts
by Charles Bhepin
Summary: Various omakes and sidestories about the weirdness in Tokyo 3, as of Shinji and Warhammer40k.
1. Battlesister Maya & Vigilante Rei 1

Note:

Omakes, or takeouts, are not intended to be seriously considered as part of the main story. At best, they're going to be only subtly referred to, as a "Could it be...? But probably not." moment. Such as the idea of Pen-pen worshipping the Penguin Emperor or having an AT-field.

With that; set your rationality aside, and enjoy what 'just might' be...

::grins::

-i

-i

-i

Shinji made another phone call. "Send them." was the gist of his message, though of  
course clad well in polite and self-humbling words. He thanked them all for their well  
wishes in his recovery.

-i

A few days later, NEON STARS GUNSELLING (of course also displayed in garish red  
neon) gunshop was open for business. Its apparent owner was a tough old ex-SWAT,  
who had no need for an apprentice. He chewed at a cigar like his namesake, Patton;  
though his full name was Patton Shirokawa Sakura. For obvious reasons people just  
referred to him as 'Patton-san'.

Section 2 checked his background well, and found nothing that should prevent them  
from approving his business license. A gunsmith was a useful person to have around.  
Tokyo 3 had a few other gun shops, but they seemed more of the 'off-the-rack' kinds.  
The old guy dealt in stuff people really needed to defend themselves, along with  
various survival gear.

It should be noted that post-Impact, gun laws in Japan took a rather drastic change.  
The chaos in those early days were held back only by the force of arms. Too many  
died and were abused simply because they had no means to defend themselves. The  
spirit of the samurai was as nothing if you didn't have a weapon.

-i

Patton-sat bit down on the cigar and chewed the bits of leaf, moistening and pulping  
with his saliva. He resisted the urge to spit it right out at the face of the sunglasses-  
wearing man in front of him.

"How much did you say again? Then; no." he said

"All right, how much more do you want? I suppose we are in a rush. I'm sure we can  
arrive at a... reasonable... exchange."

"It doesn't matter how much. The more you offer the more I don't want it." He spat  
aside, uncaring of propriety. "I don't deal like this."

"Why not? It's a legitimate transaction."

"Ten submachine guns? Yeah. I have those in stock. The laws allow it. I've sold a few.  
Tokyo 3's almost a war zone, I understand. But like hell I'm letting a bunch of Yakuza  
get their hands on more guns."

"Us...? No, Patton-san. You misunderstand. We are a legitimate security company."

The Kusanagi Corporate Security representative certainly looked slick and businesslike.  
However, there were supposedly easier ways for an organization to get their hands on  
such hardware. Easier... were it not for the battery of background checking. There  
might be military connections, but Section 2 and the freaking MAGI were well outside  
their reach.

After what happened in the recovery of Shinji Ikari, even Yakuza were leery of tangling  
with Section 2. Case in point, the one in front of him was wearing midnight -blue- suit  
and dark sunglasses. Black suit and glasses were all but Section 2 uniform, and it  
would be incredibly bad to be accused of trying to pass off as them.

Patton-san yawned. "Get your ass out of my shop. I don't need your business."

"Please, reconsider. This is good money we're offering. Refusing our kind patronage  
can only... harm you in the long run."

The old gunsmith snorted. "Like I care. I'm old, ya little twit. There's not much you're  
scared of anymore at this age. I'm not gonna need that money when I die. I'm gonna  
take a few bastards with me to the grave if I have to."

The Kusanagi stood up, and looked disapproving behind his shades. He left, slamming  
the door as he did so.

Patton-san yawned again and got up as well. His cane was a relic of the days just  
after Second Impact; a trusty old shotgun fixed into a short staff. With a slight pull;  
boomstick, and a pointy stick for poking people in the eye when the ammo is dry.

Slowly he walked over and began to close up the store. He made sure that all the  
guns on display were empty, the ammo boxes under lock and key; then turned in for  
the night.

-i

He heard a loung clanging noise. Quickly, he got at his cane; unhooking the shotgun  
from it. He fumbled for the light switch and - "GAAH!"

Patton-san fell back on his bed, clutching his heart.

"Dammit, how many times do I have to tell you to STOP doing that? There are other  
entrances to this place, you know."

The figure, clad in black, pointed up to the skylight at his ceiling. As if it... no- she,  
for that shape was hard to mistake; blamed him for choosing to live on the top floor  
of a two-story building.

"I'm getting too old for this shit. You're going to kill me one of these days..."

The black-clad figure stared back impassively, with its eerily glowing red eyes over  
a strange gas mask. She made a deeply sarcastic cutsy and walked away. However,  
just before his door, she stopped and stared at a chalkboard. Written there was  
'Check Below - KA'.

Below the chalkboard was a steel cabinet with an electronic lock. Tapping in a few  
numbers, she opened it up. Inside where what looked to be a strange box-like gun  
with twin barrels. She held it up to him.

"Yeah... me and Kensuke just finished that. He calls it a Storm Bolter, so you can fire  
two shots at once. I don't know -why- you'd want to burn through ammo even faster,  
those custom rounds are expensive, but there ya go." The old gunsmith sighed and  
tapped his cane. "It should work. The kid spent two hours praying over it."

The armored female recognized where on her own thick bracers she could attach the  
thing. A thin trigger line ran from it to her thumb. She made a pose.

"Yeah. That kid scares me sometimes. Not as scary as you, though."

"My, what MEAN thing to say, Patton-san!" said the female, holding both deadly fists  
under her chin cutely. Her left arm was encased in an odd metal gauntlet, sizable but  
light; fitting like a glove and ending in claws. Similar was the right, but the fingers were  
blunted. A large skull etched over the back of the hands reinforced the intimidating  
sight of rudimentary Power Claws and Power Fist.

The old man let out another "Gaaah!" and made warding motions. "Dammit! That's  
what I mean. That's creepy! Don't talk like that! Don't move like that!"

She pressed a button on her helmet. When she spoke again her voice was loud, harsh  
and rasping with electronic modulation. "Is this better?"

"Yes." The old man began to breathe normally. "Somehow Darth Vader with breasts is  
just less disturbing."

Fsssh... click. Unsuprisingly, it was Maya Ibuki. There was another suit like hers  
though, and someone else did choose to wear that upon occasion. "Who?" she asked.

Patton-san grimaced. The apalling ignorance of the new generation. "Never you mind.  
I'll bet you don't know who Batman is, either."

"Oh! I know him! Makoto-kun has manga about him. He's the guy in a black suit, right?  
Fighting crime?"

"Like you. Yes."

"His parents were killed on a baseball diamond, so he swore to fight crime using the  
power of baseball. His greatest enemy is the Jester, who launches jokes and insults  
and uses all sorts of dirty tricks! The most dangerous is Mister Froze, with his ice  
shooting cannon! Good this the Bat-man can hit those snowballs right out of the park!"

The gunsmith groaned and lay back down on his bed. He stared up at the stars. "Why  
didn't I just die at the Second Impact, Kami-sama? Why are you punishing me this  
way? Just... strike me down. Strike me down, now."

"Please, Patton-san! There's no need for such negativity!" Maya felt a little guilty in  
that she hadn't told him that Second Impact was self-inflicted. That knowledge would  
do more harm than help, though.

"When the Chief pulled me out of retirement just because Ikari-san needed my help, I  
had no idea this was the sort of shit waiting for me." He groaned again. "I'm getting  
too old for this."

"I... I'm sorry, Patton-san. Do you regret coming here? We can find someone else to  
mind the store and the safehouse, if you want..."

"No, no." The old man got back up and rubbed his tough, age-lined face. "If you want  
to play superhero, so be it. Someone has to make some sense around here. I hate the  
criminal bastards as much as anyone. Let Ikari-san defend this city from the big  
threats, we'll protect the people in another way."

"Thank you, Patton-san."

"Graah. I still can't believe how -corrupt- the police here are. I guess that's what you  
get if some machines are running the city. The politicians almost have nothing to do  
except just feed off the fools who elected them just to have that useless feeling of  
democracy."

"Um... the MAGI -are- doing a good job. Every problem given to them do recieve a  
prompt solution."

"Yes, yes. I'm still not gonna trust no machine to run my life. But to really screw up,  
you need -human intervention-. The military have their own laws. The civilians... we  
just have to make the best of it."

Maya nodded. "There are a disturbing amount of criminals with access to high-power  
arms." It was a good thing her suit was tested against most assault rifles in use. It  
had to be one of the most expensive, most advanced combat suits in existence. That  
Jet Alone would just part with it at Shinji-kun's say-so boggled the mind. But that was  
Shinji-kun... he always found ways to reassure her faith.

"You better check out Kusanagi in that computer of yours. They're out for trouble."

Maya stretched out and yawned. The gunsmith sighed again. "Too old..."

"Sorry for disturbing your sleep, Patton-san. I'm going to get some rest too. It's been  
a hard night. I don't know if I could have gone so long without the flexible exoframe  
in this thing."

"Yeah. Well, good night. Remember that -you're- still the most important part of that  
suit. If you want to play at this, then be sure to keep yourself on top of your game."

-i

Maya went down into the safehouse, much changed over the past months. It now  
had more armored reinforcements, a more secure main entryway, and a bank of  
sophisticated monitors dominated a wall. The MAGI devoted a small chunk of its  
processing power to monitoring the city and commanding her sluit. It was a neglegible  
fraction of the gargantuan capacities of that supercomputer.

She stripped out of her battlesuit and slid into the bed sweaty and only in her sheer  
underwear. She wriggled out the kinks in her muscles. It was all so hard, yet also so  
rewarding.

Truthfully, she couldn't remember just when it was she decided to 'play at' being a  
'superhero'. She knew exactly when she put on the improved armored plugsuit and  
went out into the night, but her motivations before that... were unclear.

A search to make herself equal in Shinji's eye's seemed a sizable part of it. He went  
out without fear to defend the city. He had the power, and used it well. She too, had  
power all her own... she couldn't be content with being just mousy little Maya. She  
had to help as well, and directly.

"Are you sure, Maya-san?" Shinji asked when she broached the idea. "I don't want to  
see you hurt."

"You can't protect me forever, Shinji-kun. I need to find my own strength."

He nodded. He began to pull strings; almost invisible but far-reaching. Agents Jiro and  
Kentaro helped set up the main underground safehouse into her lair. Kensuke, being  
merely two doors away, was too eager to offer his assistance. With the help of an  
actual gunsmith and with her access to the MAGI, he soon had several ideas for  
painful, but nonlethal weapons. Of course, as was his developing trend, all could  
become extremely deadly with just the flick of a switch or changing the clip. Even Rei  
had her own input.

In the end, it was she that had to risk her own neck. All of them... they all cared.  
They respected her need.

Maya supposed they wouldn't think badly if she stopped. They expected nothing from  
her, they cared for her either way. But she felt she had a responsibility too, to the  
people of Tokyo 3 and to herself.

And thus the Battlesister roamed the night roofs of Tokyo 3.

On occasion, Vigilante Rei would lend a hand, but no one ever remembered seeing her.  
Maya cultivated an aura of fear and panic, for criminals are a superstitious lot. A few  
tricks with the AT-field from Rei in the shadows, and soon the rumors of something  
dark and deadly lurking in the darkness began to take root. Some actually stopped  
crime entirely

These were also incidentally, the ones hospitalized by the Red-eyed Demon during  
Shinji's disappearance.

Maya slowly drifted to sleep. She could still hear it... DAKKA! Rubber-tipped bolter  
rounds stopped a mugging, maybe even a stabbing. DAKKA! Glop rounds a raping. A  
kick here, a punch there. Snapping a metal pole with her Power Claw. Hopefully a few  
thugs would forever forsake their useless, destructive life of crime.

She wanted to bring Justice. She didn't want to kill. Not again. Not for herself. She  
didn't want to start enjoying it. Not unless it's for Shinji-kun.

Maya slept and did not dream.

-i


	2. Battlesister Maya & Vigilante Rei 2

-i

-i

Maya had changed after her kidnapping. To everyone, how much she remained as  
cute and obliging was a testament to her character... or that she was just hiding her  
trauma. In the little things, it showed.

The lieutenant spent much time on NERV's Central Tactical Command (henceforth  
dubbed by all those who had to work with it as just the CTC or 'NERV bridge') staring  
at her sempai's back as she worked. Maya had a distinctly cattish look on her face.

This discomfited her coworkers, specially Makoto Hyuga. He didn't know for how long  
Maya had actually been attracted to her own gender, for too people assumed her  
adoration of her sempai was like that of a little sister. A sexual context made things  
all the more... interesting.

However, what could cause Maya to openly display her attentions? She was still linked  
by some to Shinji Ikari, who admittedly outside of pulling physics-destroying feats was  
a rather nonthreatening, effeminate boy. What could have caused her to all but give  
up on her own gender?

Everyone had one conclusion, but no one could simply jusk ask 'Were you raped?'  
They just all treated her so like crystal, even if uncomfirmed. Many men who would  
have asked her out therefore, were intimidated into staying away.

"Maya..."

"Yes, sempai?" She perked cheerily up on her seat, like some form of battle ready  
hamster.

Could you please stop staring at my butt; Ritsuko wanted to say, but then once again  
reconsidered. She had on her lab coat, which did a very good job of being unflattering  
to the female physique. Maya was just so... harmless, was the only word the scientist  
could use. After having Gendo's eyes on her naked body, Maya's little glances were  
almost like beams of innocence burning away at her shame.

"Helllooo, Tokyo 3!" Misato shouted up as she rode the escalator up to the command  
tower. "Hey, Rits-chan. How are things today?"

The blonde put her hands on her coat pockets and turned. Misato was lucky, she  
thought. At least her problems with her love life was the simple lack of it. Ritsuko  
glanced aside at Makoto, who was trying to play it cool with noticing. "Good enough,  
I suppose. We don't have anything yet on Angel analysis, but at least the monitoring  
systems are back to full readiness. Did you want anything specific?"

Misato went over Maya's seat and casually leaned against the backrest. "Yeah, mind  
if I take your assistant out of your hands for a while?"

"It's up to her." Ritsuko replied. There was only the mundane daily tasks to be done.

"So what about it, Maya-chan? Let's have a girls' night out. Shinji's out at the JSSDF  
proving grounds with all his pals, and it's going to be boring at home for a few days."

Maya nodded. "That sounds good, Misato-sempai, but not right now. I've got things I  
need to do later tonight."

"Sure, sure." Misato patted her shoulder. "Tomorrow, then?" she asked, her voice oddly  
hopeful.

"Un!" Maya smiled and nodded.

The NERV Operations Director then left, and everyone went back to work; finding  
nothing odd in the exchange. Except for Makoto Hyuga. He blinked owlish at Misato's  
retreating back, then to Maya.

'... did Misato-san just ask Maya out for something like a date and Maya refused her?'  
He groaned and slumped on his station. 'Does this mean I now have rival in Maya?'

"Oh, Makoto-kun. Is something wrong? Do you have a stomache?" she asked, truly  
concerned.

He grimaced a little in return. "N-no, nothing. It'll pass." 'I have no chance. The only  
thing I really have over Maya is man parts.' Yes, he had that much insecurity when it  
involved Misato Katsuragi.

-i  
-i

MAGI knew almost everything there was to know about Tokyo 3. Crime still happened  
though, as most of that data was highly secure military information, not to be given  
out to mere civilian or police hands. Shinji's underground safehouse was turned into a  
lair of sorts, and Maya had an invisible link directly to the MAGI monitoring system.

The supercomputers suggested that Kusanagi Security had a warehouse that needed  
remodeling. Cue exit sequence, along the sewer with a matte black speedboat. She  
had on full environmental protection in her helmet, so the stench didn't bother her.  
There were also the Battle Cycle and a glider for her use.

CRASH!

Battlesister Ibuki broke through the skylight. Those who see her combat armor for the  
first time all wonder why someone would build a battlesuit with high heels? It was for  
such an occasion, shock absorbers so she didn't splinter her shinbones in a dramatic  
entrance.

PHOM!

Cards, coins, and small arms went flying all over the place.

The Kusanagi group thugs could only look on in awed silence as she stood over them  
on the table. The battlesuit still hugged her curves, even exagerrated them slightly  
with plates of composite armor. Her belt buckle was a large oversized skull. The power  
fists were likewise death's head. Her helmet was vaugely like that of an Eldar Guardian  
and a Space Marine's features mixed together.

Indeed, she looked intimidating. Her cape flowed around her. Later, Maya hoped to  
upgrade to what Shinji called a 'hardsuit'.

Someone had recovered his wits and began to shoot at her. Piddly nine millimeter  
rounds bounced off her chestplate. Battlesister Ibuki turned to look at the offender  
with agonizing slowness.

His eyes widened and then made as if to run.

DAKKA!

Two seventeen millimeter safebolts slammed into his back, sending him facesliding  
across the ground.

Everybody then started shooting.

Battlesister Ibuki leapt off the table and began throwing people around. This was  
actually rather easy, since many of the yakuza were throwing themselves out of her  
way. Those claws looked painful.

Someone broke out an AK-47. She actually felt that. She brought up her kevlar and  
titanium-mesh cape as an added layer of protection as she rushed the fool. 7.62mm  
rounds thudded off her. Out from under her cape she brought out a Bolter. She let out  
a single burst. Three 70mm safebolt rounds slammed into him. The yakuza on top of  
the crates flew almost halfway across the warehouse; landing safely on a hanging net,  
if unconscious.

At that point, everyone else realized that beating that black-clad crimefighter was all  
but impossible. The thugs began to run. That was the point when Battlesister Ibuki  
switched her Storm Bolter from single-shot to full-auto.

  
DAKKADAKKADAKKA - click. Whoosh.

Battlesister Ibuki stood alone in a sea of bruised, unconscious lowlifes.

MAGI knew all the crimes committed in Tokyo 3, and most of them were traceable to  
this group of yakuza. Even if many might get paroled due to connections, they would  
think twice about trying anything further in her city. In pain she would write the  
lessons of respect.

She heard clapping.

To her, the shadows up at the warehouse rafters were clear as day. She simply  
hadn't noticed... her sensors, linked to the MAGI, were motion sensitive. Maya made  
a note to improve the software. She could still be taken out by a sufficiently powerful  
sniper, though her helmet was made of the same stuff they made Evangelion armor  
out of. The sniper would just have to aim at her neck.

"Beautiful, just beautiful!" said another black-clad figure, clapping from on high. "Such  
efficient brutality, such merciless grace! I've been looking forward to meeting you."

Battlesister Ibuki just pointed up with her Bolter and let loose a burst. The figure leapt  
aside into the air, and grabbed a nearby hanging chain. He slid down, his metal-plated  
hands sparking as he did so.

"That was unnecessary." It was male, presumably, taller and more well-muscled than  
her. His armor was similar to hers, but only plated over in his torso. His seemed more  
intent on stealth than actual combat. "I only wished to speak with you. Can you even  
talk?"

"Yes." said Maya, her voice garbled beyond recognition. "But chances are extremely  
low that you don't expect us to engage in combat." Thank you, MAGI. "Where did you  
get that suit?"

"Where did you get yours?" the strange technological ninja replied. "I'm sure you see  
we wear almost the same material... so possibly, where we each got it, no?"

"Who are you?" she asked.

"You may call me Sasuke. But then, we are ALL Sasuke." Behind that black facemask  
he seemed to be grinning. "Second Impact helped the shinobi more than any other  
event in the past fifty years. It is strange time to be us, no?"

"Are you implying I'm a ninja like you?"

"You work in shadows. You strike swiftly, without mercy. Or perhaps with plenty of  
mercy... given these fools are still alive... but too many dead bodies are bad for  
business, no? And please, shinobi. Shinobi."

The MAGI were running permutations, based upon what it was observing upon the  
figure. Chances of surprise attack were rising with every passing second. Possible  
armaments... unknown; there was that sword on his back, but she was after all  
wearing the modern equivalent of field plate.

"What do you want?"

The ninja straightened up. "I want you." His dark lenses seemed to leer. "Whatever it  
is they are paying you to overseer Tokyo 3, we will pay double; triple. I am sure that  
operating under NERV can get trying sometimes."

"What makes you so certain I'm a NERV Operative? I could simply be doing this out of  
my own free will."

"Oh, please. No need to play games with me. I know just how ungodly expensive these  
suits are. Only NERV has the resources. After what happened with Section 2, it is  
obvious you're the militant arm. Why you're not out protecting the pilots is a curious  
thing, but none of our concern.

A person of your talent could be much more than hired help. Join us, and see. We are  
those who can change the world."

"I have no interest in SEELE. Tell your masters I have even less reason to like Gendo."

The shinobi stepped back. "I see. You know already, no? So talk is useless, yes? This  
is something too important to let spread."

Her IRIS display flashed red to the right. She moved left, just as the SEELE ninja shot  
out with a hidden gun from his bracers. Acid-bore needlers. Damn! Battlesister Ibuki  
burst with her bolter, in between rolls. She took cover behind a crate. Those needlers  
were anti-armor, yet had ludicrously low effective range and direct armor-piercing  
ability.

The technoninja leapt over her, and pushed aside her Bolter with his foot as she burst  
up. All the rounds missed, and then he was stabbing down with his short sword.

Battlesister Ibuki blocked with her power claws. The sword began to eat through the  
metal.

She rolled aside again. Progressive blade? That was NERV technology. But then, was  
it not SEELE that created NERV in the first place? Steam hissed out from vents in her  
helmet, as if in irritation. She took out her own progressive dagger.

Sword and pistol. Dagger and bolter.

It was an epic duel that unfortunately no one would ever see. Both had advanced  
suits that allowed them to reach beyond human limits.

"Your fighting style is rudimentary at best." The SEELE ninja commented. "Kick, punch,  
block; as fast as possible, as often as possible." He lashed out, and armored knee met  
knee. "But your reaction speed is fast! Too fast!"

They broke apart. "Almost impossibly fast." he said.

Both had already ran out of ammo. They rushed each other again, fists and knees  
flying, only to leap apart again. The MAGI performed for Maya a truly unimaginable  
amount of battle calculations, directing her exoframe to where it was needed. She  
only had to conciously aim at where the computer suggested.

"You are strong..." The ninja attacked again. They grappled.

Maya screamed as his arm just -exploded-, sending a spike right at her head. It didn't  
penetrate, but most of the electronics shorted out.

The SEELE operative stalked forwards, unconcerned at the ruined remains of his  
cyborg arm. The head of that organization was the beneficiary of cyborg methods in  
preserving life, able to see when blind and walk around even when most of his body  
below the upper torso was gone from Second Impact. A side beneficiary of his need  
was the combat research program.

"... but I see that strength isn't your own."

They clashed again, but this time Battlesister Ibuki took hit after hit after hit. She  
bounced across the floor, and inside, Maya spat blood.

"You are skilled, but your skill isn't your own!"

The cyber-ninja walked over. His facemask was forbidding and uncompromising. Maya  
inched back from his approach. "And in the end we have this, a scared, CHEATING  
little girl..." He snarled. "This is disappointing."

He took out a strange pistol, with a large barrel. It looked like a single-shot anti-armor  
spike launcher. A much lighter, much more effective weapon than a Bolter for its task.  
"Die as you have lived, pathetic and useless."

BLAM!

"What? Impossible..." A hexagonal shield appeared in front of Battlesister Ibuki's low  
beaten form. "NERV already has..."

Maya spat at him, a small canister in her helmet shooting out a jet of corrosive liquid.  
"You're not the only one with acid!" she yelled out in her own voice.

He began to scream as it ate at his face. His armor overall was hardly as tough as  
hers, and weakest at the facemask. The sides were actually just layered kevlar.

Maya hefted her left power claw and drove it in between the plates of his abdomen  
armor. Blood slicked down the metal tips.

He fell back as she removed it; and blood spurted out. Battlesister Ibuki walked over  
to her bolter and ejected the clip. She reached behind her and took out a clip with  
orange markings.

"...ghk... you... you won't do it." said the SEELE shinobi as he lay there twitching. He  
looked up at Maya with his single remaining functional eye. "I know your kind... you  
don't have the guts... you need to give out justice..."

DAKKA!

His head just exploded into a smear of blood and torn black bits. It all pooled into a  
small crater left in the concrete.

"So I should just let you come at me time and time again, endangering those that I  
care for? I'm not so stupid as to let you try and take a hostage next time." she said  
to the corpse. "That's not Justice either."

She winced and staggered back. She felt a few broken bones. His suit... emphasized  
physical strength and speed over armor protection. What pained her most was that he  
was right; she was merely borrowing strength. Worse, she was stealing it. The suit,  
the MAGI, none of it hers...

Maya refused to cry again.

A distance away, someone watching from a rooftop cursed heavily. The assassin's  
handler clicked a button on his laptop and then began to dial a number on a cellphone.  
He let it ring a few times, and turned around when he heard someone pick up the line.

His eyes widened in fear, as emotionless red eyes met his. He didn't even have time  
to make a sound, as his head separated from his body and fell down into a back alley.

Rei looked at the laptop, and frowned slightly. A recording of the battle was already  
sent. Fortunately it seemed video-only. She crushed the computer. Then, she floated  
over to the warehouse.

"Sister Ibuki, may I offer assistance?"

Maya laughed weakly. "Thanks for saving me again, Rei. It looks like you and Shinji-kun  
just have to keep bailing me out of my messes."

"It is no problem." the girl replied. "However, there is much of yourself that you fail to  
take credit for."

"I'm still so weak, Rei... so weak."

"You are only human." And she smiled slightly. "It is something to be proud of. Come,  
sister Ibuki. Let us go home."

Maya was already unconscious.

Rei just carried her over to the nearest manhole. The weight was easily handled by  
her AT-field. The smell... well, she had smelled worse. They flew underground until  
they reached the safehouse.

She undressed Maya and checked her injuries. Fortunately, due to her armor there  
were no external physical marks. There were no fractures, but a few bones had been  
stressed close to it. She floated Maya onto the bed, and watched her sleep.

It was a dark room. However, only a single person remained within. It was an old man  
with a large hawkish nose, his glasses over small, suspicious eyes; the French  
representative of SEELE. The voice was masked electronically, but he knew who it  
was. His agents were legion.

"So... is it Ikari's pet Angel?" he asked.

"I do not believe so, sir. The target is more... mature, shall we say. She fights like a  
human, using human tools. Only when she had no other choice did she apparently  
deploy an AT-field."

"This could be problematic." The Instrumentality Committee member replied. The  
others had already warned him off interfering directly with events in Tokyo 3.  
However, he saw there clear and far-reaching danger beyond even the prophecies.  
"Either this means NERV has a miniaturized AT field projection system or that there  
is a mature clone."

"Should we send out a wetworks team?

"No. Best see if we can capture this one. Her and her suit. It could prove very...  
enlightening."

-i  
-i

Maya awoke to pain. The alarms always rang at about three in the morning. She  
groaned and stopped trying to turn around from lying face-down.

She felt warmth spread across the back of her shoulders. Soft, gentle hands stroked  
at her sore muscles. "... rei?"

"Good morning, sister Ibuki. Are you well?"

"... I think so. Thanks again, Rei."

"It is no problem." the girl said again. "Agents J and K are already cleaning up the  
scene. You need not fear being linked to it. Perhaps you wish to call in sick today?"

"I just wish... I wasn't so useless. I had to kill again." Maya added numbly. "I wasn't  
strong enough not to kill..."

Rei frowned slightly. She was massaging Maya's bare back, pushing her AT-field gently  
into her battle-sister's injuries and encouraging healing. She felt protective of Maya,  
perhaps even moreso than Shinji; for in the end she was just baseline human. She  
regarded Shinji very highly, but Maya was the only one she could truly call 'friend' and  
'sister'. Her clones only had the benefit of direct genetic similarity.

"There are three definitions of strength; physical, mental, and will." she said softly.  
"You need not attempt to be perfect in all three, for the heart is the most important.  
The suit gave you the first, the MAGI the second. It is not shameful to use the tools  
at your disposal."

Maya turned around. "But that's just it! These tools were doing all of it...! I was just  
fooling myself into thinking I was making a difference, when now that I think about it,  
I can only make things harder for Shinji-kun."

Rei merely frowned down at her. She put her hands over Maya's breasts.

"Um... Rei?"

Her hands were glowing faintly. "Your ribs are injured. If this is not healed, then you  
will have difficulty breathing, and others in your workplace may notice your activities."

Maya nodded for her to go ahead. "Maybe that's it. I should just stop."

"Is that truly your wish? Has this heart reached its limit?" The blue-haired girl put her  
hands over Maya's heart. "Has your faith been broken so easily?"

Maya winced, but not out of pain.

"Shinji believes in you, and so do I. Do not be ashamed of accepting the strength we  
share we you. We are all only powerful if we do not stand alone. Do not insult us by  
thinking yourself unworthy, when of all there could be, it is you that we have chosen.  
If Shinji-kun is the Will, and I am the Hand, then you are the Mind. -Know- yourself,  
sister Ibuki, and you will never be deafeated. "

"I'm sorry, Rei... but I'm just not as strong as you. This was all so silly in the first  
place. I don't want to see you all hurt because of my silly search for self-esteem."

"Likewise, we do not wish to see you harmed, emotionally or physically." Rei adjusted  
her seat on Maya's stomach. She looked thoughtful. "If it is power that you seek...  
then there is this method I was considering. I believe I have found a way to release  
the light of your soul."

"You mean... but humans don't have AT-fields, Rei! Not the way you can use it."

"Perhaps. Because of my sisters, my bond to Lillith, and the way I died, it seems my  
soul is capable of being in many places simultaneously. I have, literally, given a piece  
of my soul to Shinji; to protect him. With you, perhaps a more direct approach is  
needed."

"What do you - mhf!"

They began to float off the bed. Rei took her tongue out of Maya's mouth and they  
began to float back down again. "Fascinating. I was correct. You too, may use my  
AT-field. To partake of my Absolute Territory requires Absolute Trust."

"REI!"

The blue-haired girl smiled kindly. "If Shinji believes that you must not be hurt, then  
by the name of the Heavens we shall pull down, you WILL NOT be hurt. We will do  
everything in our power to help you."

Maya moaned out in dismay. "I don't think I can turn back my life from all this insanity  
anymore..." Power is bought through sacrifice, and there are many things one may  
sacrifice on the altar. The very first thing many chose to get rid of was decency.

Rei actually scoffed. "Normalcy is overrated. For us, there can be only victory."

-i  
-i  
-i  
-i  
-i

Warning:  
Remember, omakes are NOT part of the main plot. Unless it would be funny.


	3. Evangelion Fantasy Battle: TMP

There was a man, a magic man, and his knowing was wide and powerful. Not even he  
could stop death, however... and as he held the cooling palm of his wife he decided  
then that if he couldn't have her then even the memory of her would be destroyed.  
She would remain perfect in his memory and his alone; no one else could own their  
love. Let there be no one and nothing to remind him of her, for with her too will die  
the last of his human desires.

-i

There was a boy, a crying boy, and he was sent away as a child to live far away from  
the capital. In those dark woods and simple farming lands he knew nothing but how to  
live from one day to the next. In time even the memory of his mother began to fade,  
and the city he was born to nothing more than a misty scene.

-i

There was a girl, a sad girl, sitting alone in the forest deep. She was sent away as her  
elder sister died, the last of her family. The rest of the village thought her an omen of  
misfortune, and would have killed her had they not thought her ghost would only curse  
their village further. She watched the village burn in the distance, and closed her eyes  
as she felt the approach of something large, green, toothy and vicious.

-i

There were gods, ancient asleep, and in their silent state they counted the passing of  
years and took note of the stars. Even in their chosen death clad within their metal  
shells still burned the cleasing fires.

-i

Fifteen years later.

The magician stood there in his hooded robes, nobody had seen his face for years and  
years. Only his bearded chin was in view, and no one had any idea of just how it was  
he could walk around without tripping all over things.

No one dared to ask, though. His powers, though often unused, only became more and  
more terrible with the passing of years. Therefore, when he went before the king to  
say that something comes; something beyond even his powers to defeat or predict,  
then everyone feared for the safety of the kingdom itself.

After almost nine thousand years, the stars were right; the heavens would open again;  
and the Gods would feed. There would be no salvation in prayer, for it was a test of  
humanity's right to exist. It had happened before, and will happen again; for that was  
why the Imperial Capital was the called The Third City. It was built upon the ruins of  
earlier failures.

-i

A shaman lay dying, and even as his spirit left, he pointed to the stars. 'Oomans were  
going ta die. And so den dey would takes over da empty land. It's da time to meet da  
star gods, and wake up der own land god. It's da time. Der's killins' ta be done.

Da Scary Small Lady was there by the one she loved as her own father, though they  
weren't related by blood or even species. Da Scary Small Lady was ready to lead her  
chosen people into their destiny.

-i

There was a letter. It called him to the Capital. It could not be refused, for there were  
two armored knights accompanying it. And so the Unwanted Son said farewell forever  
to those peaceful days, amid whispers of demon-child and heresy.

-i

The Third City was huge beyond belief, but its gleaming white facade hid something  
greater still. Underneath were ruins, an underground expanse, a city within a city. In  
it worked the magics that kept the Empire strong, and the faith of the people lit up  
the false skies.

There, one of the knights took off its helmet, to reveal she was a woman all along.  
She was the Guardian, a respected veteran, and she brought him to Golden Priestess  
to recieve the blessings of the City Within.

And further down the sacred, ancient tunnels, they brought him to it.

The sleeping Machine God.

And his father.

-i

A Girl with Blue Hair, with three large cloaked figures around her, stood and watched  
as the Enemy made its presence known. It dove from the sky, and rose from its pit as  
a being arge and grotesque. It was death-black and bone-white, and it brought only  
pitiless destruction.

All the weapons of war, all the magics of the land, nothing fazed it. The Third City  
was ready to fall like the others before it.

She smiled slightly, the only joy she allowed herself to show.

-i

Fight for us, or die with us. The prophecies were incredibly specific, despite being  
thousands of years old. The Machine God was waking. Once before it had scourged  
the world nearly clean of life, in its war against the Star Gods. It could do so again.

In its long sleep however, its mind had deteriorated, so much so that it could not  
even move on its own. It needed a new mind, a fresh new soul, one that young and  
without regrets. One born from a cold womb, one whose blood sang with old power  
yet could not use it. One among all the children in all the world. Him.

He refused.

He had never been wanted. Now he was just to throw his life away at their will? He  
had no power. He couldn't do it. Such a beast...! He had no power.

They begged, they threatened, but unless he made the choice nothing could be done.  
Unwilling, the machine god would just reject the sacrifice.

-i

His father gestured, and up on the air appeared the carnage in all full sight, sound  
and even smell. Everyone screaming, everyone was burning, everyone was dying. He  
wanted to vomit. However, it all only further drove into his mind how unsuitable he  
was to carry their hope.

Then he saw one Blue Haired Girl, walking down the street, calmly as if invincible in  
the midst of that chaos. She turned, and it seemed that despite the distance she  
was looking right at him.

And she smiled, slightly.

The Star Angel spasmed and shot out more yellow cross-shaped beams. Ancient  
buildings around her started to crumble; and a stone wall fell on her. She didn't have  
time to flee, and was crushed instantly.

He found himself crying.

He found himself saying, yes.

He will give himself to the Evangelion.

-i

They made the proper preparations, and followed the half-forgotten rituals. He had  
feared it would eat him, but instead it seemed as his he had to crawl into its spine.  
There was a seat there, made of strange softly-shining white metal. Nobody knew if  
the great beast had an intelligence that was mastered, or had developed and lost  
that on its own.

It sight was his sight, its heart was his heart.

For the first time in many, many centuries, the Evangelion walked in the light of day.

-i

He screamed. It was terrifying enough to see the destruction the Third Angel was  
carving out of the city, but the Evangelion's eyes could actually see the souls being  
sucked up by one of its two bonelike masked faces. The Evangelion could hear their  
anguish. The Evangelion could taste their flavor.

The Angel noticed its ancient enemy, and attacked.

He struggled. He begged the machine spirit. He screamed. Move! Please move! Move,  
damn you! Must I get out and push?

The Evangelion roared.

-i

Below, a large slab of stone and mortar was pushed off a pile of rubble. From under  
it, the Blue-haired Girl heaved at the slab and sent its great weight tumbling with  
ease. She looked up, expectant. Show me the power of humanity.

-i

Its fury was primal and pure, its power tested and true. This was the Eternal Principle  
of Man. To struggle on, to fight on, even until the very end. To live! The instinct for  
survival, kill or be killed! And that he that who has nothing left to lose might gain  
everything.

-i

The Reluctant Boy awoke knowing nothing. He couldn't understand everyone's thanks.  
He bowed to the command that no one must know someone lay within the machine  
god; not only did it invite trouble from their enemies, he also felt he didn't deserve  
any praise.

Twenty days later, and the Undercity lost its luster. There was nothing for him but  
prayer, cleansing, and training. He had made a few friends friends of his age, though.  
There was the young Techpriest, who knew much about the Evangelion but had no  
talent for combat. There was the young Guardsman, fit and impatient for his time to  
arrive. There was the daughter of the Inquisitor, stern but kind.

The boys were bored, and asked him to come with them up to see the Third City. To  
escape Her Inquisition was tough, but they managed.

-i

Up there despite the devastation, it was still wondrous. The boys roamed about, and  
enjoyed the many sights and sounds and tastes and smells. In all the frantic bustle  
though, the Unwanted Son found himself separated from his friends.

He wandered around, until he found himself at the coarser parts of the city, where  
the damage was most severe. He saw how people were suffering and hated himself,  
for his lack of strength.

He was accosted by a group of thugs, who saw how clean and well-dressed he was.  
He ran off amid the taunts and jeers of the people.

He bumped into someone.

The three cloaked figures looked ready to attack, but a mere flick of her hand held  
them back. The Blue-haired Girl looked at the Reluctant Boy stammering out his  
apologies and said it was no problem. She was new to the city and could use a guide.  
At his further regret at being new to the city himself; then perhaps they could learn  
of it together.

As they walked around, he looked on with wonder at his strange new companion. She  
was a very odd girl; alternately acting like she knew everything then be so confused  
by simple things even he took for granted. She laughed at none of the jokes, disliked  
the sweetness of cakes and candies, and frowned at all the womanly fineries. Yet,  
when she turned and smiled just slightly at him, he felt like he'd been given something  
precious.

They stopped to eat inside an inn. As they sat there, someone at the next table, a  
man with rusty metal armor, began to relate tales of his deeds. He told of the many  
campaigns for which he's sold his sword... but his greatest was the drive to the East  
and purging the borders of the orkish filth. They were barely more than animals, and  
he slew them like animals. They were savage and brutish, as willing to eat each other  
as they would devour fat breasts and fresh young livers. They were an abomination to  
the natural order of things, and it was the duty of every man to wipe them out.

The Blue-haired girl, herself having put up her hood, became so very unnaturally calm.  
She drank pale honey and said nothing, waiting for the food.

Those over at the next table roared more, being drunk out of their minds. They spoke  
of the greenskins' stupidity in battle, their lack of any form of honor, and how their  
only method of winning was to drown the enemy in green blood.

One of them took out a necklage of large, pointed teeth.

One of the Blue-haired Girl's guards suddenly roared and leapt at them. Under his thick  
cloak he was clad all over in furs and black cloth; and his arms were powerful. A single  
sweep sent all there tumbling. Everyone soon was in an enthusiastic melee.

The Blue-haired girl just sighed. She sat there with him, utterly calm. Only they were  
posts of order in all that chaos.

Until someone slashed with a dagger, and out from one of her guards, green blood  
spilled out.

Everyone then began panicking. Orks! Orks in the city! Weapons were drawn. The  
three guards brought out form under their cloaks spiked knuckles. No quarter would  
be given.

Still, the two children just sat there.

A throwing knife flashed, and the Unwanted Son could only look on in amazement as  
it was stopped mere inches from his head. The girl had caught it, uncaring that the  
edge cut into her palm. She squeezed her hand further, red blood dripped, and the  
metal crumpled under her grip. She looked up, and her red eyes held such deadly fury.  
She was indeed, quite Scary.

She bowed to him, as if excusing herself, then launched herself into the fray. People  
began flying all over the place; being thrown into walls and breaking tables. She then  
leapt at one of her orkish guards, and pounded him with a single punch into the floor  
for his stupid lack of control.

Whistles from outside announced the arrival of the Imperial Guard. The Scary Small  
Lady and her Orks prepared to fight through. The Unwanted Son winced. He got up  
and asked for them to run. He would take care of it. Please, he begged them. Trust  
him. She nodded, had one of her orks charge right through a back wall, and then left  
him alone amidst all that mess.

The Imperial Guard found him standing in front of the hole, holding up a fist-sized  
identity plaque. It was marked with the Imperial Seal, half of a leaf in ruby. Under  
that were the runes of his name, and an Inquisitorial sigil. Beside that was a Ministral  
seal. And beside even that, was the winged skull crest of the Imperial High Guard.  
Worse still, was the symbols proclaiming him the son of the Court Magician.

They had no choice but to just leave back through the door and continue their pursuit  
from another route. The orks and their young leader were already far away.

Needless to say, his actions displeased many greatly.

Treason! Even from him, it was unforgivable. Ever have the orks been the bane of  
mankind, always lurking at the fringes of their empire; hungering to bring it all down.  
Not even ignorance can excuse it. They were not human, surely he should have seen  
so easily where his loyalty lay?

His father even broke into his mind, to see what he'd seen. Even the blue-haired girl.

It was a bad omen. No human had hair and eyes like that, at least none that had been  
allowed to live. Clearly those superstitions had some basis in truth; they were indeed  
the heralds of misfortune.

He couldn't believe it. They put him in jail to think over his actions.

For days he sat there in darkness and silence. He never really had much contact with  
others of his age. Back in his village, he was picked on for being so scrawny and so  
cowardly. The girls didn't want anything to do with him. Verily, she was the very first  
other child to look upon him and not judge with her eyes, to accept him as what he  
was and asked for nothing more.

He didn't regret being so selfless, for once.

-i

An unknown span of days later, the cell doors opened. It was a young woman, who  
smiled sadly at him. She was the Silver Priestess, one of the three attendants to the  
Golden Priestess; silver priestess, bronze cleric and iron cleric. She told him she didn't  
think he didn't really do anything wrong, for no one was killed. Everyone had the right  
to decide for themselves, that life should not be wasted, no matter what form it took.

However...

She asked for him to accompany her up to the battlements.

-i

It was a Green Tide. It was a sea of Orks. From horizon to horizon, nothing but green.  
It was a horde beyond all hordes. The Orks had encamped completely surrounding the  
Third City. They kept a distance of at least half a mile away, but it was a seige none  
the less.

Standing high above them... was an Evangelion of their own. It was hunched over,  
painted a garish orange with checkered bands of white and black. Upon its shoulders it  
carried what looked like a small fortress. It also had the equivalent of anklets and  
pouches as archer roosts, cannon mounts, and various other shooty things.

As if sensing his arrival, the orks began to roar and stamp their feet on the ground. So  
many were there that they actually produced a small tremor he could feel. Their roars  
and stomps were at a crude, but energetic rythmn.

The -Principio Eternus- rose out from the Undercity on a floating pedestal behind him.  
His father, the old king, his new friends, all were already there. All looked grim. It was  
bad enough having to face the Angels and their Star Gods, but a force of that  
magnitude... the Imperial Guard were the finest in the land, but against the wave upon  
wave threatening to splash over them, it would be bloody beyond measure.

He was ordered into the Evangelion. He could feel their blame.

-i

The heavens broke apart, and there arrived the next of the Angels. It floated down  
to the ground between the armies and turned its armored head to all the green around  
it. For the first time, a Angel spoke; and expressed surprise that the infestation was  
still around.

Ya trieds that kills us and we'z still here! was overall their common response. Orks are  
made for fightin' ! Fighting youz! They all began thumping their axe-heads on the  
ground and chanted out a war tune.

As prophesied, the second Angel was a carrier. Small pods rained out from it, to  
become squid-like floating soldiers. In moments a river stream split; half towards the  
Third City and half towards the Orks.

-Gargant Moon Biter- roared. The Orks charged. WAAAGH!

At that distance, it looked simply looked like two splashes of color blurring along a  
line. It would be a matter of which side ran out of bodies first. The Angel rose to the  
air again and floated over to the city. The walls were enchanted, but nothing the  
kept small Angelspawns from climbing on it with their clawed appendages. The Imperial  
Guard fought bitterly to hold the line; even as the Angel dropped more and more of  
itself.

The orange Evangelion tackled it to the ground.

The Angel closed off its holes and unfurled glowing feelers. -Gargant Moon Biter- had  
sickle-like blades strapped to its forearms. And as thus, two ancient enemies battled.

-i

He almost leapt to help, but his father refused to let him leave. Let the enemies of  
man fight it out.

The Unwanted Son could only bit his lip. The battle was brutal beyond belief. Such  
was what happened when two creatures utterly without care for their own lives met  
in opposition. However, slowly... the orks were being pushed back. Angelspawn were  
spilling over the walls. The Orkish Evangelion was pushed to the ground, one of its  
blades splintering.

He screamed out his dismay. The Angels were the enemy of all who lived to hope, ork  
and human. He so wished he could help. He wanted to give his regret to those who  
fought.

And suddenly a small window opened up in his vision. Why do you disturb me; asked  
the Girl With Blue Hair.

She grimaced, holding back a scream of pain as her Evangelion's armor was pierced  
through. -Gargant Moon Biter- roared again, pulled out the attack appendage and  
yanked the Angel closer. It swung with its remaing arm blade; only for the Angel to  
again counter with its armored head. She kicked up, knocking it over and exposing  
its core.

The Angel shot out with both feelers, wrapping around the Evangelion's left arm; and  
drawing taut sliced it right off.

This time, she screamed.

He found himself in a single bound clearing the wall and landing with both feet on the  
Angel's back, stomping it down. -Principio Eternus- roared. It too, wanted blood and  
battle. It hefted its trident and stabbed down. The Angel bucked it off, bleeding.

-i

WAAAAAGH!

The White River fell apart under the Green Tide. The orks surged forth towards the  
Angel. Uncaring of their own lives, they began to climb on it, bite of it, stab at it. The  
Angel writhed and slapped at itself with its own feelers.

The purple Eva grabbed at those, and held the Angel still. The orange Eva then took  
up the fallen trident and stabbed at the core.

As it cracked, the Angel began to melt.

Both Evangelions roared out in victory.

-i

The Scary Small Lady visited the City alone and in confidence. If anything at all were  
to happen, her great horde would pile high the wall with corpses just to get in and  
raze it all to the ground. There would be no Fourth City. She was not protected by  
any prophecy; she had sought out that Evangelion herself and drank of its power.

Why? asked the Reluctant Boy. Why did she risk her life for him?

Because as she represented the Orks so must he represent humanity. And she had  
found him worthy of living. As long as he lived and as long as the Heavens remained  
open, then the orks may ally with humanity.

-i

No one liked it, but the Orkish encampment outside did vastly help the city's defense.  
Beyond it, humanity was at the mercy of the Angels. More and more people fled to  
the protection of its walls. Tensions boiled high, but the threat of mutual annihilation  
kept it all from spilling over. For once, they needed each other.

Amid that, the Unwanted Son and the Scary Small Lady shared the stories of their  
lives and what they wished for the future. They became each other's first true friends.

-i

The third Angel floated in a blue shell, and hovered contemptously out of their reach.  
All magics and massed cannon attacks didn't even mar its polished suface.

Both Evangelions launched massive enchanted javelins, which did actually leave a  
mark. The Angel blasted at them with an energy beam.

It spoke; saying that it was all unnecessary. The Star Gods only demanded tribute.  
Give unto them the poor, the infirm, the unwanted... and the Star Gods shall grant  
unto them all gifts. Pitiful creatures, did they not realize that all their arts and powers  
were derived from the Stars? Even the Machine Gods were forged from the seeds of  
that which made Angels.

The Orks were loathsome to the Star Gods. Reject them, and the glory of Man shall  
shine again like in the First City. Worship the Star Gods, and it shall all be theirs again.

There were already several orks in the city, and they bared their great teeth at the  
throng around them. Outside, the horde prepared. Inside her Eva, the Blue-haired Girl  
remained very, very still. The Reluctant Boy pleaded with his father.

In the end, the magician spoke out. The wards did nothing against the Angels. It only  
seemed to fuel them further. So; the source of the wards must be broken and its  
power absorbed by the Evangelions.

In the meantime... he put his hands to the marble floor of the throne room and out  
from his palms glowing etching marked into the surface. All around the city, lines and  
intricate designs flared into being. The Angel was repelled from overhead city, as a  
magical field suffused the air.

The Angel blasted away, to no effect. Within, the old magician was brought to his  
knees. He sweated, but held firm. Even his power could not save his wife. But for the  
moment... it should serve well enough.

-i

The two Evangelions descended into the Undercity; or what had been the Second  
City. Below that, was the First City. Below even that, was a forgotten power.

It was massive, a black monster chained down in a spherical underground cavern. It  
seemed asleep, then suddenly snapped with its toothy jaws as the two comparatively  
tiny Evas approached. They were to it as men would be to them.

A two-pronged spear was stabbed into its core, right in the center of its massive  
forehead. The bound Star God then spoke into their minds;

Free it, and its power shall be theirs. By its word, carved into eternity, it will not harm  
them or that which their valued. Its enemy was the Star Gods, with whose lies their  
ancestors had bound it underneath. Let it free, for it could be content with feeding off  
emotions. It was the Night Lord, and its Chaos was the spark of life itself. It would  
make souls, not break them.

Take off the Nullifying Chains, and its blessings would be beyond their imagination.  
Whole words would open up to them. Eternity would bow to them. With it, all things  
are possible.

And the Blue-haired Girl replied; if the ancestors were willing to give up their souls and  
deal with those who are loathsome to them, then you are more detestable still. If the  
Star Gods may only appear when the stars are right, then you must be an enemy for  
all time.

You are all fools; said the Night Lord, as the Evas pushed the lance in. You do not  
know what powers you trifle with; it said as it died.

-i

The Evangelions exploded out of the ground, upon wings of darkly shimmering energy.  
Ancient wards flared purple, then faded. The Angel shot at the palace and the magic  
man merely smiled a little, as brightness filled his vision.

The Evangelions roared and flew up at the Angel. They held the lance by its prongs  
and the coiled bands of metal slid apart to give each a pointed spear. The Evas then  
shot forth, their weapons held ahead, and pierced right through the Angel.

It exploded over the City, bathing everyone in brightness.

And something laughed.

-i

Wisps, like softly glowing smoke, began to rise from the city. It all gathered towards  
a single spot, all coming together into a point of light. That light grew larger and  
larger and ever so much brighter, until finally...

The gates of heaven completely broke open.

It hovered over the city, vast and unimaginably powerful. It was vaugely draconic in  
shape, with six massive wings... or tendrils. It had no shadow, for it was the Burning  
Lord.

A Star God had arrived.

All those souls, trapped by the Night Lord, now fed the Star God. It laughed some  
more. Fools. Fools. Humans thought themselves so clever; using the Star Gods to  
imprison the Chaos Gods, then use its powers to seal away the Star Gods. Fools! Now  
nothing could help them any futher. They had no power of their own, always stealing  
it from others. Always crawling, always searching. Their hopes, their despair. They  
were food; and it was time they accepted their fate. They were made by the universe  
to be eaten by those greater.

No matter how much they tried to delude themselves. Nothing mattered. You little  
creatures. Submit. Obey. Be devoured. Death is your gift. Death is your truth. In the  
falsehood of existence, they could have all they wished. Cattle led comfortable lives  
until needed.

The Evangelions flew up and attacked; and the powers they gained from the Night  
Lord were incredible indeed. The sky was painted in violent colors, writ in fire and pain;  
to the music of rage. The Burning Lord remained unscathed. It turned its single eye to  
the orange Evangelion, and -Gargant Moon Biter- writhed in pain.

This is made of my flesh; said the Star God. And this flesh I take back.

The orange Evangelion was swallowed by a glowing white globe, and was brought up  
to the Burning Lord.

Da Scary Small Lady had never known fear, always being told she was better off dead  
by the people she grew up with. Only her sister cared, but even she suffered so much  
for her sake. When the orks overran her village, the shaman saw in her red eyes the  
same utter lack of fear, utter lack of hesitation to die, that characterized the orks  
themselves. They too, had such red eyes. Blue hair, was for men a sign of ill omen. To  
the orks, blue was a lucky color.

She was accepted for the first time, appreciated for the first time; she was cared for  
and respected. She did have an unnatural strength, long hidden, as just yet another  
thing to separate her from the other humans. To the orks, being kicked around by a  
being barely taller than their knees was endlessly amusing.

They were her people. She loved them. And dey lubbed her back, or as far as they  
could actually feel that odd emotion.

Da Orks were an old race, a powerful one, for they had once been able to defeat a  
Machine God sent by Man. They had buried it, and no one could wake it; even as over  
the countless years it had healed its wounds. -Gargant Moon Biter- was waiting for  
only her. Only da warboss was allowed into that cave, and only a pure child could ever  
have coaxed its decayed mind. There was no prophecy. There was only the perfect  
orky coincidence.

She who had never known fear, she who could endure beyond human limits - for the  
first time, screamed in terror. The Evangelion was slowly sinking into the strange flesh  
of the Star God, and it ate away at her everything.

What a curious soul; the Burning Lord commented. Human, and yet not human. It had  
changed itself by its own will. A small offering, but satisfying nonetheless.

The orks began loading themselves into their own catapults and then launched weilding  
big chopping axes at the Star God. They exploded into bursts of green blood as they  
crossed a certain invisible boundary.

Waaagh! No end to it; until they were all dead. Humanity cowered inside their useless  
walls.

-i

He was crying. He said her name over and over again. The Evangelion turned its head  
around... the city was in shambles, as Angelspawn poured though a massive crack in  
the legendary walls. The green tide was slowing to a trickle. The palace was a pillar  
of smoke in the distance.

Father...

His friends...

Humanity...

Nothing could be done. It was their final day. What was man against such power?  
What was he to eternity? Since earliest time, were they all just destined to die? He  
could see no way to change that; the future was closed to him.

He had no strength. He wasn't so smart. No human power, no human trickery could  
prevail.

Screaming and begging filled his ears. From under and on the ground more and more  
souls floated up to feed the Star God. He could feel their despair. He could hear their  
last final plea.

He screamed out, shaking his head, his tears flicking out. He took big gulps of breath.

So much suffering! So much suffering! All their lives were for nothing?

He couldn't accept that.

-i

-Principio Eternus- stood up straight, and opened its right hand out. Two streaks  
sped into its palm, twining into the familiar bident. Its eyes flashed. It looked up and  
roared.

It is futile; rumbled out the Burning Lord. Its flesh was unpleasant. Its soul was small  
and insignificant. What did it want?

For the Star God to die!

Impossible.

And the Unwanted Son believed. He wasn't strong enough in the hand, he wasn't  
strong enough in the mind, but he was strong in his heart and that was what he could  
give. When all was dark and hope was gone, it was when the light of the soul should  
shine it brightest.

The Evangelion rose into the sky.

It roared again. There was as if a cyclone around itself. The soul wisps were sucked  
away from the Burning Lord and to around itself. Six blue glowing wings unfolded up  
and out from its back. The very sky seemed to shriek. Its defiant roar reached up the  
heavens.

Awaken, Titan! You who slay the enemies of man! You who stand at the gates of  
hell! You who shall break into the Heavens! Rise up, young man!

And become legend!

-i

And this is how the fantasy ends. Those who take delight in their own might are  
merely pretenders to power. The true warrior of fate needs no adoration or fear, no  
tricks or overwhelming effort; he need not be stronger or smarter or innately more  
capable than everyone else; he need not even admit it to himself. He need not win  
victory after victory to be considered a badass.

All he needs to do is to stand there, at that moment when all hope is dead, and look  
upon the abyss without flinching. That the armies of heaven and hell would see, that  
this is a soul that cannot be conquered; and thus conquers all.

He stands alone but is never alone. His power is no one's and yet everyone's.

The warrior of fate writes his own destiny. Because he gives his everything, no one  
can trap him, no one can own him, and no one can ever take away what he'd earned.

-i

I see; realized the Burning Lord. You are a Star God as well. I greet you, Bright Lord.  
Welcome. Let us feast.

-i

I am no God!; he replied. I am the Hope and the Fury of Man! You have fed on us and  
your power comes from -us-. This is the Vessel of my Will! Know its Name!

Evangelion!

Titanicus!

-Principio Eternus-!

And know you too must be judged. Your death has sought you out.

-i

The Star God was still actually larger than the City itself. Shining from within, energies  
began to crack the Evangelion's armor. Until finally, it exploded. All the souls merged  
with that glowing sphere, expanding out, into something that stood like a man and  
glowed with the power of all their souls.

The Burning Lord opened its maw to reveal teeth sharp beyond all imagination.

The Bright Lord opened its mouth to reveal the Unwanted Son standing there, outside  
on the left shoulder of the Evangelion. -Principio Eternus- still held the Nemesis Bident.

The two titanic forces shot up into the sky, curving around to a distance. The Star  
God spat out beams of energy. The Unwated Son slapped those aside. He punched  
out, and the glowing arms sharpened into points that extended far across the land.  
The attack simply scraped across the Star God's back.

They circled; roared out and charged at each other. They slammed into the other  
and literally, broke the sky. The shockwave was visible and expanded out across half  
the world. The ground below them melted into red-hot rivers as their battling powers  
pushed down. The Burning Lord snapped and swallowed the new Human God. Cut in  
half, it still screamed out in fury. It shoved out with its arms into the Star God's body.

The glowing extensibles pierced out into a strange hollow space deep inside the Star  
God, and was stopped by a glowing hexagonal red field. It opened its palm and the  
Evangelion pierced the field to fly across the expanse. Great glowing spikes grew from  
the walls to impale it. It threw the lance towards a strange red core. The Unwanted  
Son stood at the tip of it. As if he was piloting it, he weaved through a maze of  
sudden spikes and barriers. A glowing wall appearing in front of him was just broken  
through. He covered his face from the fragments . He neared the core.

He yelled out her name.

-i

A bright blue beam broke out of the Burning Lord's back. The Star God screamed in  
pain. Strange orange smoke wafted from the hole, its energetic lifeblood. Explosions  
rippled across its form.

Something tumbled out of the sky. There the Unwanted Son stood, wounded and  
bleeding himself, his clothes burned (and still burning) in places. He rode the very tip  
of the broken bident. He was grinning, though he was already falling to his death. In his  
arms he carried a somewhat confused Blue-haired Girl.

The Burning Lord shattered, sending them hurtling out of control down into the ground.

A battered, smoldering purple Evangelion slammed into the ground. A heavily-scarred  
orange Evangelion landed on top of it with a loud clang, and bounced off to crash  
again nearby.

A strong wind passed through the battlefield. Out from the smoke walked two figures.  
The Unwanted Son limped, supported by the Scary Small Lady; who didn't look quite  
so scary then. She seemed just amused.

You sure you're not a little Ork inside; she asked him. Coz dat was just so insane. And  
stupid. It was stupidly insane. And yet somehow, awesomely, it worked. It was all so  
incredibly orky.

I think I'm a lot bruised inside; was his answer.

Heal thyself. Thou art God.

He shook his head. No. He embodied the hope of man. And only man can ever truly  
command the destiny of man. His truest power was the ability to live as one, and in  
the end die as one.

I... am not human; she added reluctantly.

You're human enough for me. He grinned slightly, half of his face still throbbing and  
numb. She blushed.

-i

Humans and Orks cheered upon seeing them. The strange pair looked at the city, at  
all their faces; so full of hope. They looked up at the sky, so infinitely high and crystal-  
clear. There was no end to the possibilities. The future of man belonged only to man.

-i  
-i  
-i  
-i  
-i  
-i  
-i  
-i


End file.
